Find out who’s on shift where this month. By Holly Graham.
Tink Chan and Arlene Wong (The Pontiac, Hong Kong) at Olive (Mumbai)
The Ponty girls will hit up Mumbai to shake up the bar’s classic Hobnail (rye whiskey, house-made ginger syrup, lemon juice, Averna and Angostura bitters) as well as other signature menu creations including the tropical yet funky Dope Slap (Pisco, banana liqueur, lemon juice, Laphroaig, sugar syrup and orange bitters) and more. Don’t miss these two bad ass babes slaying it for two nights.
When: August 2 and 3, 9pm-4am
Antonio Lai (Quinary, Hong Kong) at Villa Records (Seoul)
For two nights, Hong Kong legend Antonio Lai will be serving up some of the multisensory mixology cocktails Quinary is famed for.
When: August 2 and 3, 9pm-midnight
Shingo Gokan and Dre Yang (The Odd Couple, Shanghai) in Taiwan
The Odd Couple’s Shingo and Dre will head to Taiwan’s capital and down to the southwest coast to hit Tainan, serving up two nights of cocktails including the Tomato Tree (gin, tomato, mastic, elderflower) and Oolong High (rum, ice brew oolong tea, eucalyptus).
When: August 3: W Hotel (Taipei), 10pm-1am
August 5: TCRC (Tainan), 8pm-midnight
Singapore National Day at Employees Only Singapore
Singaporean bartenders will gather at EO to celebrate the city-state’s national day. Jerrold Khoo (Jigger & Pony), Naz Arjuna (Bitters and Love), Emmanuel Jonathan (Operation Dagger), Jayden Ong (Nutmeg and Clove), Sam Wong (Coterie Concepts) will be serving up their takes on the Singapore Sling as well as classic cocktails. As is tradition at EO, Silky Sundays mean pyjamas are encouraged.
When: August 4, 8-11pm
Toby Lo (Quinary, Hong Kong) at Jigger & Pony (Singapore) and Coley (Kuala Lumpur)
Quinary’s assistant bar manager Toby Lo will be presenting four multi-sensory cocktails from the bar’s new menu.
When: Jigger & Pony: August 7, 8pm-midnight
Coley: August 9, 8pm-midnight
Jon Lee (Tippling Club, Singapore) at Zuma (Hong Kong)
Jon Lee heads to Hong Kong’s Zuma to serve up a range of cocktails from Tippling Club’s Perfume menu.
When: August 8, 8-10pm
Lorenzo Rocci (UK Beluga Vodka brand ambassador) at St Regis Bar (Hong Kong)
UK’s Beluga Vodka brand ambassador will be taking over the newly opened St Regis Bar for two days of vodka cocktails and fun.
When: August 8 and 9, 7pm-midnight
Matt Linklater (Black Pearl, Melbourne) at Music Bar (Tokyo)
The Black Pearl’s bar manager Matt Linklater will be serving up a night of Ableforth’s gin cocktails at Yoyogi’s Music Bar.
When: August 10, 8pm-midnight
Jamie Rhind (The Bamboo Bar, Bangkok) at The Other Room (Singapore)
Hailing from the best bar in Bangkok at number 8 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars, bar manager Jamie Rhind will bring a taste of the bar’s Compass menu to The Other Room.
When: August 11, 11pm-3am
Karl Too (Omakase + Appreciate, Kuala Lumpur) at The Other Room (Singapore)
Kuala Lumpur bar legend Karl Too will serve up a taste of the KL stalwart’s new cocktails on a late shift at The Other Room.
When: August 13, 11pm-3am
Julian Short (Sin + Tax, Johannesburg) at Vida Rica Bar (Macau) and Stockton (Hong Kong)
Owner of South African speakeasy Sin + Tax, Julian Short heads to sister SARs Hong Kong and Macau to serve some of his bar’s signature creations, such as Stonehenge (Pierre Ferrand Cognac, salted cinnamon milk, pineapple juice, Chardonnay), Great Outdoors (peated single malt whisky, miso honey water, sour green apple, fresh ginger, Maraschino) and non-alcoholic Tropic Like It’s Hot (bay leaf and juniper cordial, sour green apple, fresh plum juice, fresh ginger, soda).
When: Vida Rica Bar: August 8-10, 9pm-late
Stockton: August 13, 8-11pm
Elliot Ball and Luke Condell (Murder Inc, London) at The Other Room (Singapore)
Newly opened 1940s inspired and gangster-esque Murder Inc from The Cocktail Trading Company team comes to Singapore for one night.
When: August 14, 11pm-3am
Southeast Asia Flavours with Rum at Nutmeg & Clove (Singapore)
To celebrate National Rum Day falling in August, Nutmeg & Clove is collaborating with Barcadi, Mount Gay and Sailor Jerry, as well as a host of renowned bartenders from Southeast Asia for three takeovers. The Thailand takeover will feature Bacardi Legacy 2019 winner and co-founder of Backstage Cocktail Bar and #FindTheLockerRoom Neung Ronnaporn, founder of Teens of Thailand and Asia Today Niks Anuman, plus Pop Direkrittikul of top restaurant Eat Me. Team Indonesia will see Kabir Suharan, co-founder of new Jakarata bar Pantja and Darren Defretes (Nautilus Bar) behind the stick. And finally, Malaysia will be represented by CK Kho (owner of Coley and Pahit), Janice Lau (Omakase + Appreciate) and Shirmy Chan (Hyde 53M).
When: Thailand: August 15, 8pm-midnight
Indonesia: August 24, 8pm-midnight
Malaysia: August 31, 8pm-midnight
Luca Cinalli (Hospitality Gourmet, London) at The Other Room (Singapore)
Infamous Italian and ex-Oriole bar manager Luca Cinalli heads to Singapore’s The Other Room for a late-night guest shift.
When: August 15, 11pm-3am
Tom Hogan (Proof & Company) at The Bar at 15 Stamford in The Capitol Kempinski Hotel (Singapore)
Tom Hogan heads to The Bar at 15 Stamford in The Capitol Kempinski Hotel for International Rum Day, serving up rummy treats using a variety of different brands.
When: August 16, 8-11pm
National Rum Day at Honi Honi (Hong Kong)
Owner Max Traverse and Zdenek Kastenek (Proof & Company) will be serving up bargainous Plantation Daiquiris all night for HKD50 a pop.
When: August 16, 8pm-midnight
Sean Hasle (Kumquat Tree, Hanoi) at Whisky & Words (Hong Kong)
Kumquat Tree’s bar manager Sean Hasle will be slinging three signature whisky cocktails such as B-A-N-A-N-A: banana whiskey; Amaro Di Angostura; banana cordial; chocolate bitters; absinthe and Ardbeg 10yr, The Masseuse : Blended whisky; jasmine tea liquor; lemongrass cordial and lavender bitters and What the Duck: duck fat whisky; sweet vermouth; chocolate absinthe and chocolate bitters.
When: August 20, 8-11pm
Sly Augustin (Trailer Happiness, London) at Origin (Singapore)
Sly Augustin of London stalwart Trailer Happiness will head to Origin at the Shangri-La Singapore to deliver a masterclass on all things Trailer Happiness, followed by a guest shift featuring Plantation rum drinks.
When: August 21. Masterclass: 1-2.30pm, guest shift: 8-11pm
Samuel Kwok (Quinary, Hong Kong) at Sober Company (Shanghai)
Quinary’s bar manager Samuel Kwok will be presenting multi-sensory cocktails from the bar’s new menu.
When: August 21, 8pm-midnight
Joe and Daniel Schofield (Schofield’s, Manchester) at The Loft (Bangkok)
Joe – who most notably took Singapore’s Tippling Club to the top – and his bartending brother Daniel recently opened their eponymous bar Schofield’s in their hometown of Manchester. They’ll be bringing a taste of home to The Loft at the Waldorf Astoria to celebrate the hotel’s first birthday.
When: August 22, 9pm-late
Philip Duff (Old Duff Genever) at Jigger & Pony (Singapore) and The Wise King (Hong Kong)
Philip Duff – a renowned expert on distilled spirits and founder of the Old Duff Genever brand – will be showcasing his Old Duff Genever and Old Duff Genever 100% Maltwine at both venues through cocktails presented by the team.
When: Jigger & Pony: August 19, 8-11pm
The Wise King: August 22, 8-11pm
David Nguyen-Luu and Kelvin Saquilayan (Manhattan, Singapore) at #FindTheLockerRoom
Bangkok speakeasy #FindTheLockerRoom will play host to Singapore’s best bar Manhattan in collaboration with Hendrick’s Gin and Glenfiddich for one-night only. Manhattan’s new bar manager David Nguyen-Luu, who’s been behind the stick since he was 18, will be joined by Kelvin Saquilayan, serving the classic and forgotten cocktails Manhattan’s menu is known for.
When: August 23, 8pm-midnight
Arlene Wong (The Pontiac, Hong Kong) at Compass Café by the Curator (Shenzhen)
Catch Arlene north of the border serving up The Pontiac classics Hobnail and Dope Slap, as well as two coffee cocktails.
When: August 23, 8pm-midnight
Devender Kumar (8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana, Hong Kong) at Thirsty City 127 and Remo’s (Mumbai)
Devender Kumar, bar manager of the only restaurant to boast the trifecta of three Michelin stars, and a place on both Asia’s 50 Best Bars and Restaurants, will be heading back to his hometown of Mumbai to bartend for the first time since he left six years ago. His first night will be at Thirsty City 127 – microbrewery and craft cocktail bar with a second night at Remo’s, a speakeasy within Thirsty City 127.
When: August 23: Thirsty City 127, 9pm-late
August 24: Remo, 9pm-late
Ashish Sharma (Bar Trigona, Kuala Lumpur) at Caprice Bar (Hong Kong)
Ashish swaps one Four Seasons bar for another as he brings Trigona’s cocktails of locally sourced ingredients and trigona honey to Hong Kong for the evening.
When: August 24, 8-11pm
James Estes (Tequila Ocho brand ambassador) at Kumquat Tree (Hanoi)
James will be bringing some agave love to Hanoi’s Kumquat Tree for one night only.
When: August 24, 8pm-late
Deven Rajput (Whisky & Words, Hong Kong) at Goa Nights (Macau)
Whisky & Words’ Deven Rajput heads to sister SAR Macau for one night at Goa Nights making cocktails such as a coffee old fashioned, the Bombay Manhattan with cardamom bitters and star spice for an Indian twist and Let’s Detox: gin infused with organic turmeric; honey syrup; citrus juice; fresh ginger and pineapple juice.
When: August 27, 8-11.30pm
Davide Boncimino (Madame Fan, Singapore) at Moon Bar (Bangkok)
Madame Fan’s head mixologist, Davide Boncimino heads to Banyan Tree Bangkok’s Moon Bar for a “Sky High Tiki Night with Capucana”, where he’ll be serving modern tiki cocktails.
When: August 29 , 8pm-midnight
